North Shields grandad splits his £8.5m lottery jackpot

In a bizarre twist of fate, the North Shields winner has split the £8.5m prize pot with a mum from Lancashire, after both matched five numbers and the bonus ball in the Lotto draw on August 8.

Both winners, who are also Geminis, had played the same numbers for years and scooped exactly £4,267,574 each.

The North Shields winner said: "We're so excited we can't stop laughing - though it's a big shock too.

"We won on the second round of the Lotto draw, so without it we'd never have won, and we picked up an extra £1 in the first draw as well.

"It feels absolutely amazing."

He plans to use the money to help his children, spoil his grandchildren, and support the charity Guide Dogs.

Caroline Talbot, winners' advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: "Congratulations to our two lucky winners - what an extraordinary twist of fate.

"Two people who have never met, both Geminis, both loyal to the very same numbers since Lotto began, sharing this jackpot on the same night - you couldn't write it.

"It's wonderful that the new second round of Lotto is what made it happen for them both."

The Lancashire winner said the money would help secure her family's future and allow her to enjoy a few everyday luxuries, including quilted toilet paper.

She said: "It's such a lovely feeling to have fewer worries.

"I've played these numbers for so long that I couldn’t bring myself to stop, and I'm so glad I didn't.

"It's so lucky there's now a second draw on Lotto, because otherwise I'd never have won."

Both winners also received an additional £1 from another line in the first round of the draw.

It comes just before another major lottery event, with a special £12 million 'Must Be Won' Lotto draw taking place on Saturday, September 12.

In a Must Be Won draw, if no one matches all six main numbers, the jackpot is shared among winners in lower prize tiers.

Ms Talbot said: "It's also another reminder that Lotto is continuing to create millionaires up and down the country.

"We've already seen more Lotto millionaires made this year than ever before, and with a £12 million Must Be Won draw coming up this Saturday, there's another huge opportunity for players to win life-changing prizes.

"We wish them and their families all the very best."